Coal-mining machine.



PATENIED 00T. 29, 19.07.-

w. YNAITS. GOAL MINING MACHINE.

NPNLIGATION FILED .13mm-,190e l s SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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A fr0/www5 PATENTED OCT. 29. '1907.

WNBATTS. l GOAL MINING MACHINE.

- APPLICATION FILED DEO.16, 1906.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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` PATBNTBD 00T. 29. 19.07..

W. YABATTS.

' COAL MINING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DBOJS, 1906.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

f @o l No. 869,609. PATENTED OCT. 29. 1907.

v W. YEATTS.

COAL MINING MACHINE.

-APPLIOATION FILED DBO. 15, 1906.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Willian )oag WLLIAM YEATTS, OF RTGEVILLE, VIRGINIA.

GOAL-MINING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1907.

Application filed December 15, 1906. Serial No. 348046.

To all whom it may concern:

lle it known that I, Winnaar Yna'r'rs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Riceville, in the county of Pittsylvania and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Coal-Mining Machine, of which the following is a specitication` j This invention relates to coal mining and tunneling machinery, and has for its principal object to provide a device whereby coal may be mined in largequanti' ties at comparatively small cost, or tunnels, drifts or ditches cut through material of any character.

*A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which a lifting scoop or shovel 'j is provided with cutters which are moved for the pur-l pose of loosening' the material which is collected into the scoop or shovel', and fronrthence conveyed away by any suitable mechanism. 1

A still further object of the invention is to'employ lne-ans for moving such cutting devices either willi or without the scoop for the purpose of loosening the material which the scoop is to receive.

A still further object of thc invention is to provide a scoop having a pair of revoluble cutters arranged one at each side of the scoop for cutting away the material. i Astill further object ot' the invention is to provide a device of this class in which a scoop is associated with an endless conveyor, the scoop being gradually raised during the reception of the load until it reacties a po-4 sition where the contents are dumped on to the con veyer and then be automatically returned to initial position'.

A. still further object ofthe invention is to provide a mining machine with automatically actuated picks for removing the material from the' roof of the tunnel or drift, the material dropping tto-an endless conveyor and being carried away to the mine cars or other suitable point of discharge. i

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in cer.

' tain novel features .of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustra-ted in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended -claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size and minor -the line ($G of Fig, l.

details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages ofthe invention.

In the accompanying drawingsz-Figure l is a side elevation of a mining machine constructed in accordance with the inventioln Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional elevation of the same. t Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine, parts being broken away in order to more clearly illustrate the construction. Fig. 4, is a transverse sectional view of the machine on the line 4er,

of Fig'. l, the view being onan enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a similar View on the line 5-5 of Fig. l. Fig. t3 is a sectional plan view of a portion of the mechanism on Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresl'ionding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The mechanism forming the subject of the present invention is designed for the mining of coal or other material and for the, cutting of drifts, tunnels, and the like through earth or rock. The machine asta whole is mounted on a suitable frame l mounted on supporting wheels and provided with an internal combustion or I other type of engine by which the machine may be propelled in any direction, and which, also, serves for the purpose of operating the moving parts. The piston of the engine is connected by a rod l to a main crank shaft lG that is mounted in bearings at the top of standards` AVt7 carried by the longitt-idinal sills -i8 of the frame and from `this shaft all of the remaining parts of` the mechanism receive motion. The main weight is supported by a pair of wheels lt) that are rigidly secured to an axle 2t) having bearings at the lower edges of the sills 1S, and feathered on thc axle isa worm gear 22 which may be moved into or from engagement with a worin .33 that is carried by a vertically disposed shaft 24tadapted to bearings in the frame. The `upper end of the shaft 24 is provided with a bevelgear 25 whiclrmay mesh with either of a pair of bevel gears 26-27 that are carried by a sleeve 2S fcathercd on the mainshaft. The sleeve may be moved in the direction of the length ot' the shaft in order that either gear 26-27 may engage the gear and thus impart motion through the worm gear to the axle 20 for the purpose'of propelling the machine in either direction. At the forward end of the machine` the weight may be supported by a pair of small wheels 30 that are carried by vertically guided rack bai-stil, said rack bars being engaged by pinions 32 that are carried by horiyontally disposed parallel shafts 33, the latter' being mounted in bearings slightly above thelevel of the sills and extending toward the rear end of the machine, at which point each shaft carries a worm gear 34 in mesh with a worm 35. The

Durugth'e for 'ard or backward travel o f the machine, I and under normal conditions ot' working, the wheels 30 rest on the ground and serve not only asa means -for sup- Y porting the frame, but by' reason o\'' their adjust-ability,-

permit the raising and lowering of the front end of the frame to a limited extent.

Itisnecessaryat times to move the machine 'to the right ortothefleft, and for this purpose the frame is provided'with four` vertically disposed guideways for the reception of vfour rack bars 39, 'said racl: bars carrying Wheels 40,l the axes of which are at afi'ight'angle tothe `axes ofthe Wheels The rack bars 39 are engaged by l pinions 41 that are carried by a pair of shafts 42, mounted in suitable bearings in the lower portion of the frame and extended rearward .to a point somewlni-t beyond th e vertical plane of the main crank shaft.. The two rear lpiriions 41 intermesh with-worms i3 carried by veri ically'disposed shafts 44 at the upper ends of which are bevel gears 45 iu mesh with beve-l gears 4G that are carried by a transversely disposed shafts? having bearings 48 on the frame. v i

AAt one 'end ofthe shaft 47 ifs-arranged a worm gear i9 in mesh with a worm 50 on an obliquely disposed shaft 5l. The shaft -al carries a bevel gear which may be brought into mesh witha bevel gear 53 that is feathered on the main shaft 1G and which may be. moved into and from engagement with the bevelgear 52. llfhen the.

gears arein mesh, motion is transmitted from the main clank shaft through the gearing connections described' to the several rackbars 39, andthe latter' are moved 'vertically' for ,the purpose of raising or loweringy the wheelsAO. When the wheelsare moved down, the

lthe transverse wheels 40 then forming the solo support of the machine, so that the latter maybe. shifted lateri' ,transversely movable plate 94 that preferably is proally as occasionniay require.

Aut the frontend ofthe machine is o. pair of vertically .and forwardlyextending-standards G0 carrying bearings forthe support of a transversely disposedshaft 61, the

latter `having rounded end portions, and b'oingprovided with a square or polygonal body, as shown in Fig. 2, and' to the square portion of the shaftis secured the scoop (i3, said scoop being movable between the positions 4shown I j in full lilies and dotted lines inlig. 2, and serving durs ing this upward movement to gather a load of coal or other material, and when the elevated position is reached, to dump the accumulated load'on toan endless conveyer 65,. in whiclrthe material may be carried toa dumping point or to the` mine cars or other velucles. The scoop shaft Gl is provided at 'one end with :t bevelgear which interineshes with a mutilated bevel gear 6 6 carried by a horizontally lisposet'lshaft. (i7, and

I the rear end of the sli-.tftti' carries a bevel gear (i8 which may mesh with a bevil gf-ar o9 that is formed'integral with the bevel gear 5R, and is movable with the latter iir the direction of the length ol' ihn main shaft 1G." When the gears (i8 andtifl arein meshduring theworkiiig of the engine, the scoop shaft will be turned and the scoop will be gradually moved from the lowest to the highest posi.

' gradually excavated,

non ,gathering in the coal or other material from the .if-.ice ol' the tunnel or drift, and after the dumping .posi

tion has been reached, .the teeth of the mutilated gear Will'pass from engagement with the gear G5, and the scoop willfallby gravity to 'the' initialposition, and then as the shaft G7 continues to turn, the teeth of the mutilated gear will again engage the bevel gear`65 and the operation will be repeated, provision being made for advancing themaehine step by step as the material In hrder to loosen the coal or other material, a pair of revoluble cutters 71 are employed', these being arranged at the opposite edges of the scoop and being carried by a transversely disposed shaft 72 having suitable bearings at the lower' portion of the scoop frame. At one end of this sha1' tis a bevel gear 74 which meshes with a bevel gear-75 on a yshaft 76, 'arid' this latter shaft, also, carries a bevel gear 7 7 in mesh with a bevel gear 7 on a' hollow sli-.ift TE). The shaft .79 is mounted in suitable bearings at one. side of the scoop frame, and extendingthrough said shaft or theI upper portion thereof is a spindle 8l that is pivoted on the shaft (il and is free to swing, to

gether with the hollow shaft 79, in Ifollowing the niovement. of the seoop.- At the upper portion ofthe hollow shaft is a bevel gear S2 in ineslrwith a bevel gear S3 that i is formed integral with a bevel pinion 84, the gear and pinion 83 and S-l beingloosely mountedon the shaft lil and free to rotate'independent thereof. I Mounted in' bearings at the upper part of the frame is a horizontally disposed shaft S5. At the forward end ol this shaft` is a bevel pinion 8G which intermeshes with the pinion Si, and at the rear end of said shaft isa pinion 88'in mesh with a bevel gear 89 that is mounted loosely on the main shaft 16. The hub -of the gear S9 is provided with clutch teethfarranged to engage with the similar teeth vided with a number of dove-tailed ribs entering corresponding grooves formed in the rear face of the scoop.

` The lower forward edge of the plate 94 is provided with cutting teeth or bits 96 which :projectbeyond the forA ward lip of the sc'oo'p, and as the plateismoved transversely ofthe scoop proper, the bits or cutters W'ill oper; ate oirthe'material being .excavated,'and will loosen rhesaine, the material being received withinthe'scoop as the latter inovcs upward from the full line to the dotted'li'ne position. The plate' 94 carries a block'98 that is connected by a pitman' 99to a wrist pin-100 on the lower r faceof the bevel gear' 78,l so that as the bevel gear isturned, the plato rcciprocated. l

As the materialv gradually excavated, it becomes necessary .to advance the machine,and this is accomplished automaticallyfrom the shaft 67. The bevel g/ear 68 of shaft 67 is provided with a single tooth 102 prhjecting from its Hat face, and saidtooth is arranged to 'ongage with the teeth of a bevel gear 103 that is earn l I ried by a vertically disposed shaft 104, the bevel ygear 103 being turned to the extent of a single tooth for each revolution of the shaft 67. The lower end ofthe shaft 104 carries a worm 105 that interrneshes with a worm wheel 106 mounted loosely on the axle 20, a clutch 107 being employed for locking the worin wheel to the shaft during the operation ofthe machine, and each time the scoop is tillcd and dumped, the machine as a is arranged Y suitable transverse ribs 11S in order to positively feed the material from the front' to the rear end of the machine.V The forward ends of the side w.lls 111 are flared outwardly, as indicated more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, in order that th material falling in the scoop maybeproperly directed on to the conveyer, and 'inv order to prevent thefalling of any material between the front end of the conveyer and the scoop, a chute plate 120 is arrangedimmediately'to the rear of the scoop, as shown in Fig. 2. i V

Where the machine is used for mining coal, the limit of upward movement of the scoop yis such as to cut within a few inches of an upper layer of slate, and in order to detach the remaining portion of the coal between the roof of the tunnel and the layer of slate, a series of automatic picks 12l'are employed. Those picks are carried by a transversely disposed bar 125 Ithat is mounted on vertical rods 126 that pass `through guid' ing openings formed in thcilarin'g side walls 111 and all of them are within the space between the Side walls 111 of the conveyor, so that lany material detached will be directed onto the traveling member ofthe conveyer, as will be seen on reference to Fig. Al. The lower portions of the rods 126 are provided with collars` 127 that ,rest on top of compression springs 12S, and

these ycollarsare arranged to be engaged by a pair of I Canis 129 mounted on a transversely disposed shaft 130 under the upper run o'fthe conveyor.l The shaft 130 is provided at one end with a bevel gear 132 which intermeshes with a bevel gear 133 mounted loosely on the shaft 85,'the hub of the bevel gear having clutch teeth arranged to be engaged by the clutching teeth of a collar 135 that is slidably mounted on the shaft S5, so that the picks may be operated at will.

For convenience in moving the machine laterally, one set of transverse wheels t0 is mounted on a shaft 140, and said shaft carries a worm wheel 1-11. and feathered to the shaft and under the control ol' an adjusting lever 142. By operating this lever, the worm Wheel 1111 may be moved into engagement with the worm 23 for the purpose of transmitting movement through thc transverse wheels and effecting the necessary lateral adjustment.

lA A scoop or bucket, and'cutting' members carried thereby :ind movubhl iut'lepcndontly thcreot',

2. A scoop or huckcr huvinL' cutting members ut onc edge. und means l'or operating said cutting` members independent of 'thc scoop.

2l, A scoop or bucket, und :l movable cutting mcuibcr arr. ig'cd ot' the edge thereof.

-i. A scoop or bucket. und :i longitudinally movable cuitcr urrun'nod :it thc cnirnnco lip oi` said scoop or bucket.

scoop or bucket. :i cutter supported thereby. und incunsl lor reciprocating said cutter in the direction oi' the length ot' thi` edge or lip ol said scoop.

o. A scoop orluickct. a movable cutter arranged at the edge thereof, means t'or moving the scoop. and means for moving,r the cutter independent oi the scoop.

I T. scoop or bucket, menus for traveling lthe sume nguinst the material to be excavated.l and :in independent mcnns carried by the scoop for loosening the material as the scoop is operated. A

S. A scoop or bucket, and n plurality of reciprocntory cuttingY members projecting beyond the receiving edge of'suld scoop.

l). A scoop thereof, rcclproiniory cutters :it the receivingr lip of the scoop; und means for operutinf.;l uil ot' said cutters.-

lil. In combination, n pivotnliy mounted scoop. means for swinging -the samen reciprocntory plate at the back ot' the scoop, cutters carried Iby sziid plute'und projecting beyond the receiving edge ot the scoop. :t shaft carried by thel scoop. pair or revoluble cutters on said shaft. :i geur having' itsl uxis ot' rotation coincident with the axis of movement of thc scoop. menusA lfor drivin;r the geur, :i

shnft supported by the scoop und having n pair .of bevel gears receiving motion from tho tirst geni'. scaring connections belwecn the bevel geur (..n "ng shaft und the cutter shaft gears: :i (Il ik pin` uur d by one ot' said bevel geni-s, und mcuns t'or connecting snid cr'anlr pin to snid plate.

l1. In a device ot' the class spcciiied, a frame, un endless convcyer, iixcd guiding nicn'ns for suid endless conveyor. :i

'scoop or bucket pivotcd to the i'ru'nic nt u point intcrmcdiate its front und reni' edges. the front edge forming: :t rcceiv ing lip. :ind nunns t'or swinging' thc scoop upward independent' of thc conveyor to u point where its contents will. run by gravity over thc ri-nr cdce oI` the scoop on to .suclr conveyor.

l2. A pivolully mounted scoop. :i ruck shaft currying' the sun-ie. n geur mounted on Suid rock shaft, :ind n mutilntcd geur foncugnging und drivingr tho rock shnit goor to ruisc said scoop to dumpingl position, said schop beingr arranged to move by grnvity to thc lower-mostposition when the teeth of the gears :irc out oi mesh,

il. A pivoiully mounted scoop, a rock shaft carivingr the sume. menus lor operating;l said rock shaft, :i bevel geur mounted loos'cly on the rock shul't, menus for opcrntinf.;l the bevel geur. :i pluto urrnngcd nndei` the rear of the sco/op und havingr u ribbed :1nd grooved connection therewith, cutter bits carried by the pluto .ind projecting.;l beyond the yreceiving lip ot' the scoop, n hollow shnt't having' bearings `rock shaft geur. a 'crunk pin carried by the lower bevel geur und connected to the pluto, a shaft arranged ucar the forward edge ot' the scoop, :i pair ol' rcvoluble cutters supported by suid shni't, :ind gearing connections between lin` cuiicr marrying' shut't :ind the lower bcvcl geur. l

l1. An okcuvnting scoop arranged to swing in n vertical pinne. und :i pair ot' sets otcuticrs carried thereby, one sot bei urrungld to cui vertically :md the other set to cut horizontally.

l5. 1n :t machine oi' the c lnss described, n frame prope ne wheels supportiiml the sume, :t stcpvby step driving4 mechanism [or said wheels, Suid mechanism including n bcvcl guur, :l scoop. u rock shui't wrijvingl thc sume, u bevcl ;cur ou said rock shaft, n. mui'iluied geur arranged to enfance thc bevel `our ot' the rock shaft, :t driven shuit. curiving said mutilated g'cur, u driven geur :wronged ai: onc cnil ot' thc muliluicd geur shni't, :1nd n sing'ic tooth mcinbcr carried b v thc driven geur und arranged to cne'uee lhc bevel ;'cur oi` thc propelling mechanism,

itiA in u machine ot' tho cls described, :i trame, un cugino mounted thereon, :i pnir ot' sets oi' wheels for supporting' lhc.t'r:nnc, thc :ixus oi' the wheels oi` ono sot being' :il :in nng'ic to'thosc ot' thc olhcr sci. gezlriund clutch conY ucctions between thc engine :1nd the whccls, whereby driving' movement muy biinipurtcd to either sot. :i scoop, cutting,l members c. 'ricd ilnrcby, gearing' conncciions bctwccn thc cugino. lhc .scoop und the cutting' mclnbcrs,

. l or bucket. rcvolublc cutters :it thc sides :in endless conveyer arranged to receive the material from the scoop,. und gearing connections between `the engine und the 'endless conveyer. I

17. In ymechanism of the Class described, the traveling excavator means; :l conveyer mechanism including 'flrlng sidewalls for directing the materialon to the couveyer proper, :l plurality of picks arranged to, engage with :1nd

` remove n portion of the roofyof the tunnel or drift being excnvzited, all of said picks being arranged:` in a Space between rsuch Haring sidewalls, and an opcrntingmenns 10 common t0 the'excavting means and tlie picks.l

In testimony that I claim' the foregoing as my myn, I

have hereto affixed myrsignature in the presence of two Witnesses.

' WILLIAM YEATTS.`

VVitness'es JAMES S., CHAMBERS,

W. L. WLTINGTON, 

